Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

Hockey World: Top 20 NHL trade bait

These top-20 unrestricted free agents on tap to be dealt by teams that are out of the playoff picture, including the Edmonton Oilers

Perry falls under the Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk umbrella, only Anaheim is a much better club than Atlanta ever was when they traded their studs in their prime at the deadline. The Ducks, the second-best team in the West, just gave Ryan Getzlaf $66 million over eight years. Why Perry just doesn’t go to general manager Bob Murray and say, “Give me the same contract” is anybody’s guess. They’re a tag-team. If they can’t sign him in three weeks they’ll do one of two things: deal him for three live bodies and a first-round draft pick (see Hossa, Kovalchuk), or work out a sign-and-trade deal with a team the way the NBA does. The team that wants Perry will sign him to an exorbitant rate, but give up way more because he’s not a rental then.